Coin assorting apparatus



1933- A. c. o. BOCK El AL COIN ASSORTING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 15, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet l FIG-.1

Nov. 14, 1933. A. c. o. BocK ET AL COIN ASSORTING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 13, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 14, 1933.- A. c. o. BOCK ET AL COIN ASSORTING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 13, 1931 FIG 4 NOV. 14, 1933. Q Q BQCK ET AL 1,934,839

COIN ASSORTING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 15, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Nov. 14, 1933. A. c. o. BOCK ET AL COIN ASSOR'IING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 13, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Nov. 14, 1933 H .-..1,934,s39 oom-Assoa'rme APPARATUS Alfred Charles:

out Book nd Jacob Brooklyn N y.

J. Ernau,

Application-January 13,1931, Serial N gsoano 401mm (o1. 133- 3) This invention relates to. machines for assort ing disks such as coins and other like tokens.

Itis essential insuch machines that they should. be accurate and that they should operate with speed. v 1 I H ,It is therefore the main object of the invention to vprovide improved apparatus wherebythe accuracy and speed of assorting coins and the like may be increased.

The machine of the presentinvention. operates;

by moving the disks or coins over appropriate slots of varying sizesland it is important that the coins be properly presentedto such slots; 'It

is therefore a further object "of the invention to-provide means for insuring that the coins hear an appropriate relation to said slots;

Qassortingplate;

away, on the line 4+4 of Fig. 1; I I Fig. 5 is an enlarged portion'of the section of,

and .Fig. 9 is a It isa further object of theinvention to'provide a machine of the character indicated with an endless coin carrier. whereby the continuous operation of the machine may be accomplished for indefinite periods. I I t is afurther objectof theinvention to pro- 'vide means for unerringly differentiatingcoins' which do not differ greatly in size (such asthe dime and cent) so that there will be no. chance of, aicoin falling through: the wrong asserting slot and so erroneously mixingcoins of difierent characters. I I v r c ,Other and ancillary objects of theinvention willappear hereinafter.

In the-accompanying drawings which illustrate 7 the invention; d d I n t Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a machine embody ing the invention;-

; I d I l Fig.2 is aside elevation of the machine of Fig. 3 is a section on-the line 3-3 Of-Fig.T-1

Fig 4 is an enlarged section partly broken Fig.3;

.Fig. 6 is a face view on an enlarged scale. (partly brokenaway) of acarrier'pl'ate showing a possible location of coins thereon; V

' Fig. '7 is a face View, partlybrokeniaway, and on the same scaleofFig'B, of the carrier and r -Fig. 8 isafaceview, partly broken-away; and on thesame' scale as Fig; 7 of the assorting plate;

section on the line 9+9 of1-Fig.-1 on an enlarged-scale. U 7 =4 r Referring to the drawings, the apparatuscomprises generally a frameA upon which-is mounted an endless coin carrier B to which coins are fed frorn theftable C and which 'moves the coin'o ver a slotted. asserting plate D, the coins, being assorted by selectively passing through appropr-iate slotsand the coins from their respective slots beingadapted to be'received by their respective compartments E, whence they may be trans ferred to bags or other containers, deliveredto counting mechanismor be made of the'm. I 1 e The frame A is triangular in elevation (seeFigs.

other desired disposition 2 and 3) and comprisesthe side portions land 2 I secured toge herby bolts 3 and sand spaced apart by the sleeves" 5 and 6. Also secured to and BX- tending between the sides 1 and 2 of the frame is an" inclined asserting-plate? comprising an imperforate portion. 8 and the upper slotted por- 1tion 9,. the'slots' heingc'f appropriate size and construction to sort'thecoinsas will be hereafter more particularly'referredlto'.= Secured to such manner asto, bearfagainst the underside of the slotted portions of the'plataare the cross bars .10' which serve to. separatefthe assorted coins which. have come through therplate and also support the plate'whichisfusually thinner at. the

slotted portionsfl Bearing against the a'ssorting plate 'Zcomprising the imperforate' portion 8 and the slotted por'tion 9, is :the endless coin carrier comprising a seriesof plates 24 secured to endless sprocket chains 11 and 12 passingover sprocket wheels 13' and 14 on the shaft 15 rotatablymounted in -.the frame sides 1' and '2,Yth'e sprocket wheels ,16 andl'? on the shaft18 rotatably mount- 1 edin -thefirame' sides, and the sprocket wheels 19v and 20 on theshait'fil rotatablyii n'ounted in I cams ZZ-ancl 23 in .thejframe sides,'*the'se cams, by rotation-in their bearings in-theframe sides,

providing'm'eans for shifting the shaft 21 so asfto permit the removal orplacem'ent of the sprocket.

. chains-on the. sprocket wheels and for regulating f;hetension,, of the chains; vlilaoh'o the plates '24 95 issecured at'its endstothe sprocket chainsby rivets, screws orother' suitable means 25. Each plates so that the plate and chain may separate except at the point of fastening and the chains may readily assume a curved form in passing around the sprocket wheels (see Fig. 3)';' In each 'plate issecured to' a chain: at but a single restricted pointinterniediate of .the sides of the ofthe plates is a plurality of circular holesi26 to receive the coins to,-be assorted; 'When the chains and plate'sfare moving in a straight 1111s,

the plates form arsubstantially continuous plane surface with the holes'26arranged in a plurality of longitudinal rows and also in a plurality of trans:- Verse rows; The sprocket chains are driven by an electric motor 27 belted to a pulley fixed upon the counter shaft 28 which also has fixed upon it the pulley 29 connected by a belt 30 in driving relation to a pulley 31 fixed upon the shaft 18 upon which the sprocket wheels 16 and 17 are also fixed. The sprocket wheels are drivenin such direction by the motorthat the plates 24 move upwardly .over the plate '7. i

The carrier plates 24 are held'firmly against the plate 7 by means of a cover plate secured to the assorting plate '7, said cover plate comprising the side portions 33, the transverse bars 34, 35 and 36 supporting and strengthening the longitudinal bars 37 which bear upon the plates 24 between the longitudinal rows of holes 26 and holds the plate 24 firmly against the plate -7 so' that there is no chance of a coin becoming wedged between a plate 24 and the plate '7. The transverse bars referred to are arranged with relation to the plates 24 to give sufiicient clearance for the passage of the plates and the coins carried thereby. I

' In each of the sides of the assorting plate 7 is cut a longitudinal channel 32 adapted to receive one of the sprocket chains (seeFig. 4). The side 33 of the cover plate bears against the plates 24 and serves inconiunction with the plate '7 to retain and guide the plates 24 and the sprocket chains. Mounted upon the cover plate is the coin table C adapted'to receive the coins whichare fed therefrom to the coin carried plates. In order to conserve the floor space of the apparatus and at the same time to avoid of substantially the whole length of the carrier, the table C is mounted some distance from'the bottom of the carrier and an apron or hood 38 extends rearwardly from the coin table to a point adjacent the lower end of the coin carrier and making a sufficiently'close fit therewith so that coins cannot pass between the carrier plates'and the hood. It will be seen that when coins are, fed onto the carrierfrom the table they will, unless caught in the holes 26, have a tendency to slide down the carrier until arrested by the apron 38, to be eventually caught in the successive holes in the carrier plates and carried upwardly across the imperforate portion of the assorting plate '7 to the sorting slots through which the coins will appropriately drop and'be guided into their respective compartments.

Within the apron 38 are partitions '7'? bearing upon, or in close proximity to, the plates 24 of the carrier. These partitions are respectively located between the longitudinal rows of holes'26 and serve to form pockets or chambers over the respective rows'of holes. The coins fed from the table C to the carrier thus enter within the said pockets (unless previously caught and moved up-' wardly in the hole 26) andso are guided-into po sition over the longitudinal rows of holes 26.

The rear walls '78 of the pockets (see Fig. 1) are shown as curved which aids in centering the coins over the longitudinal rows of carrier holes.

It will be seen that there is a row of slots in the" assorting plate for each longitudinal row of holes 26 in theicarrier, such slots being of appropriate width to permit the passage respectively of appropriate coins, the assorting slot of least width being the first encountered by a coin and the slots progressively increasing in width moving in the direction of the carrier. Thus, the particular machine illustrated being adapted for sorting the usual United States coins, namely dimes, cents,five

cent pieces, twenty-five cent pieces and fifty cent pieces, the first assorting slot, as 39, of each row of assorting slots is of a'width to pass the smallest larger coin and the next slot as 43 is of a width to pass a 50 cent piece. The dimes passing through the asserting slots 39, pass into the chute 51 which guides them into the receptacle 52; similarly the cents passing through the slots 40 are guided by the chutes 53 into the receptacle 54, the five cent piece from the slots 41 pass through the chute 55 to the receptacle 56, the twenty-five cent pieces from the slots 42 pass through the chute 57 to the receptacle 58 and the fifty cent pieces from the slots 43 pass through the chute 59 to the receptacle 60. Preceding each row of assorting slots is a slot, as 61, too narrow to permit the passage of any of the coins. This slot is oif-centre with relation to the centre line 62 of its row of assorting slots and the longitudinal row of holes 26 in the carrier. This slot 61 has its centre line displaced to the left (Figs. '7 and 8) of the centre line 62 and at its left side is a rabbet 63, the left hand wall-64 of the rabbet being at a distance from the centre line 62 approximately equal to half the 'diameter'of a cent. The rabbet 63extends along from the centre line 62 equal to approximately the one-half diameter of a dime, the walls 64 and 65 being connected by an ofi set 66. By this arrangement the dimes and cents with their centres on the centre lines 62 pass over the slot 61, their left-hand edges dropping into the rabbet 63. The coins arethus carried over the slot 61 to the dime slot 39where the left-hand side of the coin is supported by the bottom of the rabbet 63, but, the right-hand edge of the dime being unsupported, it

will fall down'into the slot 39 and the whole coin will pass through the slot. In the case of the cent, however, this coin willbe cammed by the off set 66 against the force of gravity so that its centre will be to the right of the centre line 62 and raised or advanced beyond the position which it would occupy when allowed to freely seek its position in contact with the lowermost edge of the carrier hole 26 in which it is located. The cent in passing over the dime slot 39 is therefore constantly held against the rabbet wall 65 by gravity which constantly tends to return to its lowermost position (see Fig; 7) inits carrier hole 26. The wall 65 therefore accurately positions the cent with relation to the dime slot 39 so that it is supported on both, sides and cannot fall through. This provision is made desirable by reason of the small difference in diameter between a cent and a dime so that a slight displacement of the cent might result in its accidental falling through the dime slot. By the arrangements provided, the cent is accurately held in position with relation to the slot so that it'is surely supported at opposite sides-of the slot and accidents of the character referred to are prevented. on reaching the cent slot 40, the cent drops through and passes to its compartment. The five cent pieces pass over the preceding narrower slots until their passage slot 41 is reached when they pass through to their compartment and the twentyfive cent and fifty cent pieces respectively pass over the narrower preceding slots to their respective passa'ge slots 42 and 43 when they pass through and are conveyed to their'respective compartments. 1

In order that the carrier plates 24' maybe sufficiently thick so as to firmlymaintain their positions and still the rear walls of the holes may not be high enoughto engage morethan one coin at a time to positively drive them forward,

, the upper rear edge of each hole 26 is beveled as at 67 so that the rear wall of the hole 26 perpendicular to the face of the plate and there- ;fore adapted to abruptly abut with the rear edge with the longitudinal bars 37 of the cover plate and serve to direct coins fed onto the carrier from the table G into the channels forms by the partitions and the bars 37. Entirely across each of these channels extends the rearwardly inclined edge of a scraper '71 which is pivoted to the bar 68 and is pressed downwardly by a spring72'so that the edge of the scraper is resiliently pressed against the surface of the carrier plates. This scraper will prevent the passage of all coins which have a forward edge above the surface of a carrier plate (as at 73 Fig. 5) so that practically all coins more than one in a hole 26, and all coins not in holes, will be prevented from passage. It

'is possible, however, that two coins might be in one hole with the forward edge of the overlying coin below the surface of the plate, as for instance at 74 Fig. 5. The upper and superfluous coin will then present an inclined surface to theedge of the scraper which may ride over it." Toprevent such superfluous coins from passing on to the as: sorting slots, abar secured at its ends to the sides of the cover plate and extending entirely across the carrier but spaced therefrom-carries a series of brushes, Each-brush 75 extends entirely across a channel between two bars 37 and is formed from form resilient tongues which bear upon the carrier plates and down into the holes 26. brushes brush. back-all superfluous coins (more than one to a hole), which may happen to reach them, and also serve to brush the coin remaining 7 in a hole tothe lower side of the hole where it will be properly centered for presentation to the assorting slots if, for any reason, the ,coin is not so located in the hole.

It will now-be seen that, the motor being started and the carrier driven to move'upwardly over the asserting plate, coins distributed to the carrier will be properly located in holes in'thecarrier for presentation to the assorting slots and will be properly assorted by the slots and-deposited in their respective containers, and that the opera- These 1 3 tion may be continuouslycarried on for indefinite periods by reason of the fact that the coin carrier.

is endless, It will also appear that an operative machine may have but one hole in the carrier and a single row of assorting slots cooperating there-. with but the speed and efficiency of the machine is increased by having a plurality of holes longitudinally of the carrier and a plurality of longitudinal. rows of holes with a corresponding rality of rows of assorting slots.

Each of the disk receiving holes 26 has a recess plu- '76 in its rear wall, the wall of such recess being of a less radius of curvature than that of the other Wall of the hole so that the sides of the recess have a steeper slope than the circular Wallsof the hole would have, thus serving to facilitate and maintain the centering of the coins, particularly the smaller coins such as cents and dimes.

While the invention has been illustrated in what in considered its best application it may have other embodiments without'departing from its spirit and is not therefore limited to the structures shown inthedrawings.

What we claim is: i

1. In a machine of the character described, the:

combination with'an asserting plate having assorting slots, of a disk carrier having a hole-for receiving disks and jmeans on said plate and extending along a portion of one side of an assorting slot for laterally guiding a disk into desired position with relation to the last mentioned slot. 7 r

2. Ina machine of the character described, the combination with an assorting plate having assorting slots, of a disk carrier having a hole for receiving'disks and a groove in said plate extending-along a portion of one side of an assorting slot'for laterally guiding a disk into desired position with relation to the last mentioned slot.

3. In a machine of the character described,

the combination with an assorting plate having 'assorting slots, of a disk carrier having a hole for receiving disks and tending to move a disk offset means in said slots preceding the slot for the smallest disk for laterally diverting the disk so that its center is at one side of said center line. a sheet of spring steel slit longitudinally so as to I moved forward by the carrier, at second rabbet extending along an assorting slot for the smallest disk and laterally displaced from the line of the,

first mentioned rabbet, said rabbets being connected by an offset whereby the disk is laterally deflected into the said second rabbet as the disk is advanced by the carrier.

ALFRED CHARLES OTTO BOCK., JACOB. J. ERNAU. 

